Visit to Iceland and the Scandinavian North

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splendid view of a portion of Christian's Sound-also called Fiord-which I lost on the former journey from the darkness of the night. We passed it in the afternoon. The situation of the little town of Lauervig is superb. It is built on

lers for Bergen [50] to a vessel waiting for them, as we had st

d in a few hours we had lost sight of land. We saw nothing but land and wate

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hours later than usual. In this agitated sea, the surging of the breakers

rful storm they had witnessed. Now I comprehended the reason, when I heard the travellers beside me call the brisk breeze, which only occasioned what seamen call a little swell, a dreadful storm; and they will probably tell at home of the dangers they have passed. Storms are, fortunately

rough the locks, over the waterfalls of Trollh?tta, with the next Stockholm steamer. By the junction of the river G?tha wit

gs, all crowding towards the cathedral to catch a glimpse of his majesty on his departure. I, of course, mingled with the crowd, and was fortunate enough to see the king and prince come out of the church, enter their carriage, and drive away very near to me. Both were handsome, amiable-l

liday attire, and the military, the clergy, the officials, citizens and peo

of the leg, red stockings, red spensers, and white chemises, with long white sleeves; a kerchief was tied round the head. Some of

f ten to twelve years of age among the d

re ornamented with wreaths of fresh flowers, interspersed with lighted tapers. Some houses displayed transparencies, which, however, did not place the inve

unfortunately at five o'clock in the morning; and as in the month of September only two steamers go in the week to Stockholm, I was compelled to wait till Thursday. The time hung heavily on my hands; for I h

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ring the journey fresh passengers were taken in at every station, and the reader may conceive the misery of the poor citizens unused to such hardships. Every one sought a shelter for the night, and the little cabins of the engineer and steersman were given up to some, while others crept into the passages, or squatted down on the steps of the stairs leading to the cabins. A place was o

for the luggage are worse still. The canal-boats, having only a very small hold, trunks, boxes, portmanteaus, &c. are heaped up on the deck, not fastened at all, and very insufficiently protected against rain. The consequence of this carelessness on a journey of five or six days was, that the rain and the high waves of the lakes frequently put the after-deck several inches under water

which is said to have 1000 inhabitants. It is so situated among rocks, that it is almost hidden from view. On a rock opposite the town are the ruins of the fortress Bogus. Now the scenery begins to be a little more diversified, and forests are mingled with the bleak rocks

he ship passes through them, the passengers have leisure to admir

built of stone. The river past Akestron flows as through a beautiful park; the valley is hemmed in by fertile hills, and leaves s

ither in extent nor in influence. There are eleven locks here, which rise 112 feet in a space of 3500 feet. They are broad, deep, blasted out of the rock, and walled round with fine freestone. They resemble the single steps of a

time for this excursion; for the passage of the ship through the many locks occupies three to four hours, and the excursion can be made in half the time. Before starting,

foliage of the overshadowing groves. The canal, which describes a large semicircle round the chief stream, glitters in the distance; but the highest locks are quite concealed behind rocks; we could neither observe t

oint of decline into two equal falls by a little island of rock. A long narrow suspension-bridge leads to this island, and hangs over the fall; but it is such a weak,

d feels the bridge vibrate at every footstep, and timidly hastens to reach the island, not taking breath to look around until he has found footing; on the firm island. A solid rock projects a little over the fall, and

d is separated into many arms by the numerous islands. T

ve miles long, and proportionally broad, until evening, when it was already too dark to adm

o Swedish or Norwegian merchants; and it afforded us a peculiarly int

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od vessel, but to which our small ship was not equal. The poor captain tried in vain to navigate the steamer across the lake; he was at last compelled to give up the attempt, to

d to come alongside, and some of the passengers landed. I was among them, and made use of this opportunity to visit some cottages lying at the edge of a wood near the lake. They were very small, but consisted of two chambers, whi

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titude of smaller islets and cliffs. This is one of the most important stations in the lake. A large wooden warehouse stands on the shore, and in it is stored

ze. Its shores are bare and monotonous, and only dotted here and there with woods or low hills; the distant view even is not at all

only over the lake, but far into the country. A curious grotto is said to exist in this hill; but unfortunately one loses these sights si

cates window-glass exclusively. We stopped a short time, an

ngs attached to it are prettily s

gh several locks. The passage of the Wennerse

locks, it is pleasanter to walk a portion of the distance in their shade. Farther o

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like all Swedish lakes, by the multitude of its islands, cliffs, and rocks. These

ghest point of the journey; from thence the locks begin to descend.

ly defended by the beautiful fortress of Karlsborg. This lake has two peculiarities: one being the extraordinary purity and transparency of its waters; the other, the number of storms which prevail in it. I was told that it frequently raged and sto

On its shores are situated the beautiful ladies' pensionary, Wadstena,

e locks and canals,-a lasting, colossal undertaking. The monument is surrounded by an iron railing, and consists of a slab bearing an inscription, simply stating in Swedish his name, the date of his death

tudded with elegant little houses and larger edifices. Distant church-steeples point out the village of Norby, which sometimes peeps forth behind little forests, and then v

valley, covered with the most beautiful woods and rocks, and upon the broad lake, whose arm flows far in land. The evening

eighbouring church of the village of Vretakloster, which contains

e miles broad, and remained all night before the en

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hich it runs is one of the largest we had passed. The town of S?derk?ping is situated at

spot of soil in Sweden

abundance of time for such excursions while the ship was going through the locks. I think one might walk the whole distance from Gottenburg to Stockholm in the same time that the ship takes for

into innumerable arms and bays, into small and large lakes, which are formed between the islands and rocks, and are hemmed in by beautiful hills. But nothing can exceed the beauty of the view of the castle Storry Husby, which lies on a high mountain, in a bay. In front of the mountain a beautiful meadow-lawn reaches to the shores of the sea, while the bac

cts from the traveller's attention, as if it wished to monopolise it. Now we were in the open sea, and saw only water and sky; and then again

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. This lake at first resembles a broad river, but widens at every step, and soon shews itself in its whole expanse. The passage of the M?larsee takes four hours, and is one of the most charming excursions that can be made. It i

meadows, with villages or single cottages. Many travellers assert that this lake is, after all, very monotonous; but I cannot agree with their opinion. I found it so attractive, that I could repeat the journey man

g fled from the enemy in a battle; that one of his soldiers pursued him, and reproached him for his cowardice, whereupon Eric, filled with shame

ch are situated in the valleys or on the sides of the hills as forerunners of the town, come into view, and the suburbs rise amphi-theatrically on the steep shores. The town itself closes the prospect by occupying the whole upper shore of

iers, [52] who frequently come to Stockholm to earn a livelihood as porters, water-carriers, boatwomen, &c. They easily find employment, because they po

th long sleeves, short narrow aprons of two colours, red stockings, and shoes with wooden soles an inch thick. They tw

are much cheaper than hotels, and are therefore more in demand. I at once hired one of these rooms, which wa